Deadly Commission: Doctor Received Rs 2.5 For Each Bottle of Toxic Cough Syrup That Killed 23 Children

For Every Bottle Of Killer Cough Syrup Doctor Prescribed, He Got Rs 2.5 As Cut

23 children died after consuming the cough syrup in Madhya Pradesh.

Bhopal:

How does one quantify the value of a child's life? It seems an impossible question to answer.

Yet for the doctor who prescribed cough syrup to most of the 23 children who died in Madhya Pradesh, the answer was shockingly simple: Rs 2.54. This was the 10% commission he received for each bottle of Sresan Pharmaceuticals' Coldrif cough syrup, which retailed at Rs 24.54.

Police investigations reveal that Dr Praveen Soni, a pediatrician at Parasia's government health center, continued prescribing the now-banned Coldrif syrup through his private practice despite central government guidelines prohibiting fixed-dose combination (FDC) medicines for children under four years of age.

The syrup, manufactured by Tamil Nadu-based Sresan Pharmaceuticals, allegedly contained diethylene glycol at toxic levels – a chemical known to cause kidney failure. Investigators claim Dr Soni continued prescribing Coldrif despite awareness of its risks, and that most of the deceased children had received prescriptions for this syrup from him.

Currently, both Dr Soni and Sresan Pharmaceuticals' owner Ranganathan are in police custody. Tamil Nadu authorities have ordered the company's closure, and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has conducted raids on its facilities.

Court documents indicate that Dr Soni allegedly admitted to receiving commissions, though his attorney, Pawan Shukla, dismisses the confession as "fabricated and legally worthless." Shukla stated: "The police had to complete a story. There is no direct evidence against Dr Soni. They fabricated this narrative and extracted a memorandum that has no evidentiary value. The 10% commission claim is false."

Previous NDTV investigations uncovered connections to the doctor's family. Police reported that medications prescribed by Dr Soni were dispensed through pharmacies owned by his wife and nephew.

Authorities noted: "Except for Dr Soni, no other arrests or remand have been made, but the investigation is wide open. Action will be taken as evidence emerges."

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) had issued clear nationwide directives on December 18, 2023, warning against prescribing FDC drugs to children under four. Nevertheless, according to police reports, Dr Soni continued prescribing the syrup even after evidence emerged of its role in causing urinary retention and kidney failure in children.

Several patients were transferred from Parasia to Nagpur, where they succumbed between September and October.

Pharma-Doctor Nexus

This incident isn't the first controversy surrounding Madhya Pradesh's medical community. A decade ago, the Madhya Pradesh Medical Council received complaints that 20 prominent doctors from 14 districts had accepted luxury Italian vacations with their families. These trips were allegedly sponsored by pharmaceutical companies in exchange for prescribing their products.

Between 2008 and 2011, several government doctors were also implicated in conducting unauthorized drug trials on patients without consent. Despite clear violations of the Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices, meaningful action against the involved pharmaceutical companies or doctors was notably absent.